Posts Tagged ‘tram’

One of the reasons why I don’t take my ipod to listen to on the way to and from work is because a) on the way there I have the kids with me, and they like to talk. In fact, they love to talk, plus by the time I leave for work, they are starting to feel weary and sleepy after a hard day playing with their play-mobil or painting piggy-banks, so I need to be available to chat and play eye-spy with them, and b) because on the way home from 10:30pm, I like to be able to hear if anyone is behind me, and just generally have my wits about me.

Last night’s journey home proved to be the scariest I’ve had so far. Usually, when I get to Stretford tram stop, there are just half a handful of people about. Maybe one going the same way as me, and a couple on the other side. During the start of the week, (the Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays), I have noticed it’s quieter, and sometimes I find myself sat at the tram stop waiting alone for my tram to come along and whisk me home. Last night was one of these nights. On my side of the platform was me, and me alone. Opposite, going in the other direction, there were 2 men, who appeared to not be together, but both decided not to get on the tram when it stopped. One of them, a scruffy looking youngster (I so sound old!), noticed me on my own on the other side of the tracks, and moved so that he was directly facing me and glared. I tried not to look across, and reached into my pocket to hold my mobile. Within seconds, he darted up the steps to the road, and started to cross the bridge which leads over the tracks to the steps coming down to my platform. As soon as he started running up the steps, I texted Alex “Sing me” which was supposed to read “Ring me”, but my nerves and haste cocked it up. I immediately got a failure message saying I didn’t have enough credit! I tried to ring him and nothing. By this point, I had thought that I’d have to use the last few quid in my bank account and top up, so started to call the top up line. The guy was stood at the top of the stairs looking down at me. I was shaking, my adrenaline was pumping so hard I felt like my heart was going to bounce out of my chest and boing boing boing all the way over onto the tracks. Just as suddenly as he had run over, he ran back again to his own side, and laid on the bench, singing nonsense loudly. At this point, I thanked my coat for making me look pregnant, because I had a feeling that’s what had stopped him and sent him back, but I couldn’t say for sure. After a few minutes, an older man with a lovely Irish accent and his son arrived, and I immediately felt so much safer.

Tonight, I left 5 minutes earlier so that I could make the earlier bus when there tends to be people around, and felt a lot safer, but I am now dreading the summer when I could be stuck at work a lot later. As I am about to extend my hours, I’ve decided I am going to use the extra money for driving lessons, because I can’t bear the thought of feeling on edge every single night. I’d rather be skint!